Feeding mechanism



0. F. BALTZLEY.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 4. 1920.

1,375,889. Patented Apr. 26,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@btow m 0. F. BALTZLEY. FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1920.

1,375,889. Patented Apr. 26, 19210 2 SHEETS-SBEET 2- flue w e13 UITEDSTATS are.

rnnmnh MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2c, 1921.

Application filed March 4, 1920. Serial No. 363,346.

T 0 all w 7mm it may concern:

e it known that I, ()REN F. BALTZLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hagerstown, in the county of lVashington and State ofMaryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in FeedingMechanism, of-which the following is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to a feeding mechanism which may be usedgenerally in connection with machines of special application in which itis desirable to feed intermittently a strip or strips of material uponwhich the special work is to be performed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a mechanism whichwill positively grip and intermittently feed the material in onedirection, which is simple and durable in construction and which isoperable from a constantly rotating shaft or prime mover having suitableoperating means located thereon.

Another object of the invention is a mechanism which may be readilyapplied to special work machines without material modification of thestructure of these machines,

Other and further objects of my invention will be hereinafter pointedout and will become obvious from a reading of the description and theappended claims, wherein my invention is more definitely defined.

The above and .other objects of my invention are attained by aconstruction comprising, broadly, spaced parallel guide rails havinglocated thereon a plurality of clamps which are intermittently movedto-and from the guide rails to clamp or release the material. The clampsare provided with pins which extend through the guide rails and areengaged by reciprocating clamping bars, or more particularly, by cams onthese clamping bars. which engage the pins when the clamping bars aremoved in one direction and thus draw the clamps against the guide rails.lVith the material gripped as above described, the guide rails and theirclamps, together with the clamping bars, are moved in one direction tofeed the material, at the limit of which movement the clamping bar ismoved in the reverse direction to permit the clamps to disengage thematerial, whereupon the guide rails and their clamps are moved in thereverse direction to start the feed operation once more. There is alsoprovided a presser foot which engages the I material at the end of theforward feeding movement of the clamps and guide rail and thus preventsthe material from being drawn rearwardly upon the reversal of themovement of the guide rail. The entire operation s performed by means ofa constantly rotat ng prime mover having located thereon a rollerprovided with a plurality of suitably formed peripheral cam tracks.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of my invention.

2 is a side elevational view.

F g. 3 is an end elevational view.

Fig. 4 1s a cross sectional perspective taken on the line et-4 of Fig. land with a portion of the guide rail broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the development of the cams for moving theclamping bar and guide rails.

Fig. 6 is a true cross sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 4but showing a modified form] of clamping bar and means for moving theclamps to and from the guide rails. Fig. 7 1s a perspective of a detailof the mechanism shown in Fig. 6,. the guide rail being omitted.

eferring to the drawings more in detail, the mechanism, which may besupported in any suitable manner which will permit the reclprocatorymovement of the various parts, comprises parallel guide rails 1 providedwith rahbeted or shouldered inner longitudinal edges 2 which serve as aguide for the material and also cooperate with depending fianges 3formed upon clamps 4 located upon the guide rails. In Figs. 1 and 2 eachguide rail is shown as formed in two sections 1, 1, separated for asuitable distance and connected by laterally extending plates 5 whichare joined by an intermediate bar 6 laterally off-set from and extendingparallel to the guide rail-sections 1, 1. This construction is resortedto in order to permit the location of a die of the special work machine,or of any other part of any special machine to which the mechanism isattached, at a point where the full width of the material is prescntedto the operating mechanism without the interference of the feedingmechanism. It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 1 that thelongitudinal edges of the material will not be gripped at the pointswhere the connecting bars 6 are located.

As shown in the drawings my feeding mechanism is adapted to grip thematerial M along its longitudinal edges and feeds the same forwardintermittently in the manner now to be described. Each of the clamps 4which, in Fig. 1 are shown as being located upon each of the guide railsections 1, 1', are superposed upon the guide rails'and have attachedthereto pins 7, the threaded ends 8 of which are provided with nuts 9fitting within suitable central sockets or look washers 10, the washersbeing secured to the clamps by means of set screws 11. The pins 8 extendthrough theguide rails 1 and are formed with enlarged heads 12 in whichare located transverse pins 13 having rollers 14 upon their ends.

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 4, the heads 12 fit withinelongated slots 15 which slots are formed in clamping bars '16, theclamping bars being located imme- .diately beneath the guide rails, andhave nected in a similar manner, by means of cross or tie plates 19,each of these plates being secured to the guide rails and clamping barsby any suitable means, such as screws 20. The tie plate 18 has locatedthereon at a central oint a roller or cam follower 21, and the tie plate19 is provided with a similarly located cam follower 22.

In order to impart to the several parts suitable synchronized movementfrom a central source, which, in the present instance, is in the form ofa constantly rotating shaft 23, there is located on this shaft a roller24 provided with adjacent cam tracks A, B, the former track serving toreceive the follower which is connected to the guide rail tie late 18,and the latter receiving the clampmg bar follower 22.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a development of these two cams, butbeforereferring. to the cam construction in detail it is thought that a briefdescription of the operation of the several parts will aid inunderstanding the function of the two cams. The operation of themechanism is as follows: Con sidering the parts to be in the relativeposition shown in Fig. 1, the clamping bars 16 are first moved to theright relative to the stationary guide rail 1, whereupon their cams orwedges 17 engage the rollers 14 upon the lower ends of the clamping pins7 thus drawing the clamp flanges 3 against the guide rails and grippingthe material.

WVith the material thus held by the cooperating plamps and guide rails,the movement of; the clamping'bars is continued, but from this pointthey are accompanied-by the guide rails and clamps which are also movedin the same direction by their cam track A. When the limit ofthe forwardmovement of the mechanism has been reached the clamping bars 16 arefirst moved in the reverse direction, thus Withdrawing the cam 17 fromengagement with the rollers 14 and permitting the springs 25, whichsurround the pins 7 and are located between the clamps and guide rails,to raise the clamps from the uide rails and disengage the material. iththe material released, the clamping bars 16 in their reversed movementare, from this point, accompanied by the guide rails 1 and their clamps,which are also moved rearwardly by their cam track A. 7

It will be noted from a casual reading of the above description ofoperation that my mechanism comprises the lmparting of a jointreciprocatory movement to the clam'p-v ing bars and guide rails,.themovement in one direction always resulting in feeding of the material,and a ortion of the reciprocatory movement of t e clamping bars 16 beingrelative to the guide rails and clamps. t may be noted at this pointthat there is also provided means for holding the material after it hasbeen fed forward and to prevent the same from being carried rearwardlyby the guide rails in their reversed or non-feeding movement. This meanscomprises a presser foot 27 provided with a laterally extending portion27' which is downwardly curved and formed with an eye 28 which receivesa rock shaft 29, to which the A resser foot is fixedly secured. The rocksha also has secured thereto a rocking arm 30 rovided at one end with afollower 31 whlch rides in a cam track C located in the end of theroller 24. It may be observed at this point that this cam track C isformed with two sections 0 0 the former portion being located at aradially greater distance from the center of the roller than the lattersection.

As shown in Fig. 3 the cam roller 24 is rotated in an anti-clockwisedirection, and the follower 31 is about to enter the portion 0 of thecam track, whereupon the presser foot 27 will be raised to permit theforward feeding movement of the material by the guide rails andcooperating clamps. Continued movement of the roller 24 by its shaft 23will bring the portion 0 to the cam follower 31, at which time thepresser foot will again be lowered to hold the materialv against the bedX of the machine so that the material will not be carried rearwardly asthe guide rails return to their feeding position.

Referring now to Fig. 5, B indicates the clamping bar cam and A the camwhich moves the guide rails and clamps. It will be noted that at a point6' the cam track B takes a lateral direction and the track -A takes asimilar direction at a point a. The track B, it will be observed, isdirected laterally at a point in advance of the point a, the portion ofthe track B from bto being the portion which moves the clamping barsforwardly to draw the clamps against the guide rails, and the movementof the clamping bars from the point 6 and the point 6 being accompaniedby the clamping guide rails which are moved by the portion of theirtrack from a to a The points 6 and a of the respective tracks are thelimit of the forward feeding movement, and from the point 6 to the pointI), and between the points a and the points a there is a dwell in themovement of the clamping bars and guide rails. When the clamping barfollower in the trackB reaches the point 6 .the clamping rearwardly andthe clamps raised by their springs 25, after which release the guiderails are moved rearwardly, this rearward movement being started at thepoint a of the cam and continuing to the point (2*,

the rearward movement of the guide rail stopping at this point. It willbe noted that the rearward movement of the clamping bars continues atgreater distance than the similar movement of the guide rails and iscaused by the portion of the cam between the point 6 and the point 6Between the points 6 and b and the points at and a of the respectivecams, there is a dwell in the movement of the several parts, althoughthe prime moving shaft 24 continues to r0- tate. When the points a and bare once more reached in the rotation of the shaft the above describedoperation is repeated.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 wherein there is shown a modified form ofstructure, there is indicated at 30 a clamping bar which is providedwith rack teeth 31 which take the place of the cams 17 used in thehereinbefore described form of my feeding mechanism. The rack teeth 31cooperate with and engage pinions 32 located upon the ends of theclamping pins 33. As in the previously described structure, it will benoted that the pins 33 extend through guide rails 34 and clamps 35 andtheir threaded ends have located thereon nuts 36 which are fixedlysecured and held against rotation in central sockets formed in lockwashers 37 locked to the clamps by means of set screws 38. I

Although but a detail of this construction is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, itwill be understood that the construction not shown is in every wayidentical with the form of my device indicated in Figs. 1 to 5, and thatthe only difference between the two embodibars are moved ments of myinvention is in the means for actuating and moving the clamps to andfrom the guide rails. It will be clear from an inspection of Figs. 6 and7 that reciprocation of clamping bar 30 relative to guide rail 34 andclamp 35 will cause rotation of pin 33 and since the upper end of thispin is threaded in the nut 36 and the latter is secured to the clamp,the clamp will be drawn downwardly toward the guide rail or movedupwardly from the latter, dependent upon the direction in which theclamping bar is moved.

It should be understood that while I have described my construction indetail and illustrated a specific form thereof, my invention is by nomeans limited to these details, as the same might be embodied innumerous equivalent structures. For instance, while I have shown each ofthe guide rails and clamping bars as formed in two sections joinedtogether by bars 6 off-set therefrom and extending parallel thereto,this construction is not at all times necessary. Furthermore, although Ihave shown parallel guide rails and clamping bars, it is not necessaryto use this identical construction since it may sometimes be desirableto grip the material along only one edge, in which event, only one guiderail and clamping bar would be used. Again, although I have shownsprings 25 whereby the clamps are disengaged from the material, it maysometimes be desirable to employ a more positive means for actuating theclamps in this manner, and in this event it would clearly be within thescope of my invention to locate suitable cams upon the clamping bars forthis purpose.

It should be understood that although I have shown my feed mechanism asconstructed for use in connection with sheet material, the same couldreadily be modified for use in feeding lengths of wire and bar materialby fashioning the guide roll and grippers as may be necessary to suitthe form of the material being fed.

' at I claim is:

1. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pair of reciprocablegrippers, means for opening and closing said grippers comprising a barindependent of and having a reciprocatory movement relative to saidgripping members, means on one of the gripping members adapted to beengaged by said bar in its movement, and means for reciprocating saidbar and imparting a feeding motion to said grippers.

2. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pair of reciprocablegrippers. a bar provided with a cam and having a reciprocable movementrelative to said grippers, means on one of said grippers adapted to beengaged by said cam to move said grippers to gripping relation, andmeans for reciprocating said bar and cam and imparting a reciprocatoryfeeding motion to said grippers.

3. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pair ofreciprocatable grippers, means for closing said grippers comprising abar having a reciprocable movement relative to the grippers, a cam onsaid bar, means on one of the grippers adapted to be engaged by saidcam, and cam means for reciprocating said bar and cam' and imparting areciprocatory feeding motion to said rippers.

4. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pair of reciprocablegrippers, a bar having a reciprocatory movement relative to saidgrippers, a pin connected to one of said grippers and provided withmeans adapted to be engaged by said bar in its reciprocatory movement, arotary shaft, a cam on said shaft, a follower connected to said bar andengaging the cam whereby the bar is moved to actuate said grippers togripping relation, and a second cam and follower adapted to impart afeeding motion to the grippers after they have been moved to grippingrelation.

5. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pair of reciprocablegrippers, a member connected to one of said grippers and provided with acam engaging portion, a reciprocable bar having a cam adapted to engagethe cam engaging portion of the grlpper member when the bar 1s moved inone direction, a presser foot, and a continuously rotating shaft formoving the bar, grippers and presser foot in timed relation.

6. A feeding mechanism comprising a pair of reciprocable grippers, a barhaving a reciprocatory movement relative to said grippers, a member onone of said grippers extending through the complemental gripper, a headon said member, means adapted to urge said grippers apart, means on saidbar adapted to engage the head of said member to close said grippers,means for reciprocating said bar relative to said grippers to open andclose the latter, a presser foot, a continuously rotating shaft and camson said shaft adapted to reciprocate said bar, and grippers to actuatesaid presser foot.

7. A feeding mechanism comprising a pair of grippers, means for openingand closing said grippers comprising a reciprocable bar adjacent saidgrippers, said bar having an elongated slot therein, a member on one ofsaid grippers and extending through said slot, a cam on said bar and acam engaging head on said member, said cam being adapted to close saidgrippers upon movement of the bar in one direction relative to saidgrippers, and a continuously rotating shaft and cams thereon forreciprocating said bar and grippers.

8. A feed mechanism comprising parallel spaced guide rails, clamps onsaid guide rails, means for moving said clamps to and from the guiderails, said means comprising clamping bars adjacent said rails, means onsaid clamps adapted to be engaged by said clamping bars, means formoving said clamping bars to actuate said clamps, meus forconnectingsaid guide rails, means for connecting said clamp bars, and acam for reciprocating said guide .rails.

9. A feeding mechanism comprising spaced parallel guide rails, clamps onsaid guide rails, means for moving said clamps to and from said rails,said means comprising a clamping bar, means secured to said clampsadapted to be engaged by said clamping bar, means for reciprocating saidclamping bar and means for reciprocating said guide rails.

10. A feeding mechanism comprising spaced parallel guide rails, clampson said guide rails, clamping bars, members on said clamps extendingthrough the guide rails, cams on said clamping bars to engage saidmembers, means to reciprocate said clamping bars relative to the guiderails to draw the clamps against the guide rails, and means toreciprocate the guide rails and their clamps.

11. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination spaced parallel guiderails, clamps on said guide rails, members on the clamps extendingthrough the guide rails, clamping bars, elongated slots in said barsthrough which said members pass, means to reciprocate said clamping barsto draw the clamps against the guide rails, and means to reciprocatesaid guide rails and their clamps.

12. A feeding mechanism comprising spaced parallel guide rails, clampson said' guide rails, means connecting said guide rails, a cam toreciprocate said guide rails in unison, means to move said clamps to andfrom the guide rails, said means comprising members on said clampsextending through said guide rails, clamping bars, means on saidclamping bars adapted to engage said members, and means to reciprocatesaid clamping bars relative to said guide rails.

13. In a feeding mechanism, the combination as specified in claim 12,said means for reciprocating the clamping bars and guide railscomprising a single continuously rotating shaft and cams on said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OREN F. BALTZLEY.

